Cuomo declares MTA 'state of emergency' as New York transit failures pile up

Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared on Thursday that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is in a “state of emergency,” as issues continue to plague New Jersey Transit, Long Island Rail Road, and New York subway system.

The declaration comes after yet another morning of commuting woes. On Thursday, a power issue left hundreds of Long Island Rail Road commuters stranded outside Penn Station for two hours, NBC New York reported.

Cuomo is giving his newly appointed MTA chairman, Joseph Lhota, 60 days to assess capital needs for cars, tracks, and signals. Cuomo also said he will add $US1 billion to the MTA capital plan.

Amtrak is set to begin long-overdue rail repairs at Penn Station in just a few weeks. The LIRR and NJ Transit both run on tracks along the Northeast Corridor, which Amtrak owns. Heavy delays along the lines are expected once work begins.